NHTSA — Visibility Problems

CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2005 Pontiac G6 has major problems with two areas fairly critical to the act of driving... steering & safety.

The 2005 G6 has a major defect trend with electronic power-assisted steering failure. The power steering cuts out while driving, making it extremely difficult to steer. G6 owners typically report spending $600 - $1,200+ to fix the problem, replacing either the entire steering column or the power assist motor.

In March 2010, GM recalled 1.3 million vehicles for this exact problem "...after receiving 1,100 complaints of power steering failures." However the 2005 G6 wasn't included in that recall.

As of early 2013 the NHTSA had 300+ steering complaints on file for the 2005 G6, with 12 crashes & 4 injuries. The NHTSA closed their initial investigation in 2007, having determined that losing your power steering going over 15-20 mph isn't a big deal & that most crashes occurred at slow speeds, so not a safety risk. Ridiculous? Yep, we think so too.

The 2005 G6 also has an expensive problem with "popping" or "clunking" noises when turning, & that issue extends to newer model years as well.

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2005 Pontiac G6 Owner Comments

G6 6-cyl

90,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2005 Pontiac G6 - water pours from the interior lights splashing the inside of the car and driver which is as unexpected as a child running in front of a vehicle. The sudden downpour may cause the driver to loose control of the vehicle when they look up to see where the water is coming from.. nobody was injured in my incident however, the water is coming from the drain tubes from the top of the car which have a tendancy to become disconnected. I am told this is not considered a safety hazard but a driver does not expect to be suddenly soaked by water when driving a car and can cause the driver to become reckless which may cause damage or injury to a vehicle or a person if it has not already. This is a common problem and needs to seriously considered as a safety hazard. Other than the safety hazard that it is, it also causes the interior of the car to be completely destroyed from mold and/or mildew needing complete replacement. The dealers are very much aware of the problem but yet I have taken my car in twice and because it wasn't leaking at the time, the could not see a problem. Mind you the back floorboard and seat were completely soaked from 8 gallons of water which had been sucked out of the car prior to driving it to the dealership.

G6 6-cyl

85,000 miles

Wiper assembly failed twice during operation. Initial failure was in Dec '08 and the entire wiper assembly was replaced at my expense. 2nd failure was on June 9th 2010. On June 9th I was in a driving rainstorm on the expressway driving 55 mph when wipers failed and almost drove off of the road due to lack of visibility. Dealer wants to replace entire wiper assembly again. Vehicle is only 5 years old.

G6

89,500 miles

My power steering light had been coming on intermittently for the past few days. Yesterday while leaving a parking garage the power steering light came on. I continued driving and as I went to turn the wheel, the power steering went out while making a left turn (5-8mph). I nearly ran into a pillar in the parking garage. I turned the car off and back on and the problem went away, but the power steering light stayed illuminated. After searching the internet for some time, I came across hundreds of similar problems. A few of the same problems occurred while people where driving on the interstate which could have been deadly if someone would have been going around a turn or just switching lanes. I just don't understand why there hasn't been a recall to fix this problem. The car industry want us to stick behind american made products but are unwilling to fix potentially deadly problems until the inevitable occurs and someone losses their life because of a problem they know about. Maybe that's why many are buying quality made foreign made products. Over the five years I had the car I have had numerous problems this car has been a money pit. The hood latch broke, the power window motor went. The rotors have to be replaced more often than I change the oil ( that's ridiculous), the bearings went bad, the six disc factory cd player stops working and sticks constantly, the blower for the heater and ac only works on high, the panoramic sunroof leaks which has caused water to accumulate in the trunk and now their is a mildew smell ect.........

G6

72,464 miles

The contact owns a 2005 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the rear window defroster was activated prior to turning off the engine. When she returned to the vehicle, the rear glass shattered without force. The heating element from the defroster caused the glass to shatter. In addition, whenever the defroster and radio were activated simultaneously, the radio would short circuit and cause intermittent static. The defroster was not clearing the condensation from the rear glass surface sufficiently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but they were unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle has not been repaired. The contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 72,464.

G6 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

7,000 miles

My 2005 Pontiac G6's driver's side sun visor had an electrical short which caused smoke to come from the headliner area. The dealership has had my vehicle since then and have been waiting for a part to come in. The dealer suspects that this is not an isolated incident due to them not being able to find a replacement part. I suspect that this incident could have started a serious fire.

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